RMCtv : Forcing revisions at the cost of staff mental health, wellbeing, morale and QoS? : Simon Thompson "My fault, I hear it a lot, but phone a helpline"

[SpacePhoenix]

Where is this video from?

A planet many, many light years away from reality.

A galaxy, far, far away

[mjd24]

Anyone else finding Simon Thompson coming across as rather creepy?

I was quite impressed with him when he was on that hour long thing with the CWU.

But i know what you mean, theres something of the smiling assassin about him in these videos.

The best thing he could do is spend a full week on 5 different deliveries and experience the job. Not saying it would make a huge difference but at least then he will have an idea of what we do week in week out.

[Norfolk 'N' Chance]

Anyone else finding Simon Thompson coming across as rather creepy?

I was quite impressed with him when he was on that hour long thing with the CWU.

But i know what you mean, theres something of the smiling assassin about him in these videos.

The best thing he could do is spend a full week on 5 different deliveries and experience the job. Not saying it would make a huge difference but at least then he will have an idea of what we do week in week out.

mjd24, as an outsider I have to say I couldnt agree more and I find it hard to believe that as very senior manager that he does not appearto understand the value of walking the talk and getting onto the shop floor. If you look at the BBC and CH4 programmes like undercover boss and back to the shop floor, the value that can be gained by doing this type of activity is difficult to qauntify, and to get the same sorts of info, youd have to pay consultants tens of thousands of pounds. Im my previous life I've certainly had more respect for managers that are prepared to roll up their sleeves and muck in, and are genuinely keen to find out what the grass roots issue are, in some industry sectors this is a more common practice than it appears to be in RM.

Just out of interest and playing devils advocate here mjd24, would you be willing to allow him to accompany you for a day on your walk so he can see the issues first hand. Be good if he could dress down and look like a regular postie too, as you might get lucky and find an irate customer to give him some constructive feedback. I'm far from an expert by any means, however from what I have seen and read, senior management tours of the shopfloor and frontline are one of the best known cures for "Ivory Tower Syndrome"!

[2yearpostie]

Id happily take the ceo round with me for a day.

[mjd24]

Anyone else finding Simon Thompson coming across as rather creepy?

I was quite impressed with him when he was on that hour long thing with the CWU.

But i know what you mean, theres something of the smiling assassin about him in these videos.

The best thing he could do is spend a full week on 5 different deliveries and experience the job. Not saying it would make a huge difference but at least then he will have an idea of what we do week in week out.

mjd24, as an outsider I have to say I couldnt agree more and I find it hard to believe that as very senior manager that he does not appearto understand the value of walking the talk and getting onto the shop floor. If you look at the BBC and CH4 programmes like undercover boss and back to the shop floor, the value that can be gained by doing this type of activity is difficult to qauntify, and to get the same sorts of info, youd have to pay consultants tens of thousands of pounds. Im my previous life I've certainly had more respect for managers that are prepared to roll up their sleeves and muck in, and are genuinely keen to find out what the grass roots issue are, in some industry sectors this is a more common practice than it appears to be in RM.

Just out of interest and playing devils advocate here mjd24, would you be willing to allow him to accompany you for a day on your walk so he can see the issues first hand. Be good if he could dress down and look like a regular postie too, as you might get lucky and find an irate customer to give him some constructive feedback. I'm far from an expert by any means, however from what I have seen and read, senior management tours of the shopfloor and frontline are one of the best known cures for "Ivory Tower Syndrome"!

I would be willing for that to happen, as long as he turns up at 6:25 in the same uniform as me and he gets treated just the same as any reserve that gets put to work as my van share partner.

The list of problems he’d experience would be quite a long one! Im sure he would end the day with a full few pages of notes!!

The main thing id want to get across to him would probably be that the way i work, and id say at least 90% of colleagues (from my experience working with many different van share partners) is far more “productive “ than he could ever imagine.

What i mean by that is, we’re basically 100 miles an hour from start to finish time, using our experience in the job to be as fast as possible. Im not saying this is a good thing. In a way its quite f***ed up. Many of us are doing this and finishing 30-45 minutes early all for the benefit of then being sent back out with extra parcels or whatever.
Or on heavy days racing around in order to finish on time or 10-20 minutes over rather than having to have “the conversation” with management about cutting off.

But i guess my point is that you get sort of institutionalised into this way of working which is a throw back to the days of there being no consequences to finishing early. And its very hard to get out of.

Its very easy for the guys sat on their laptops analysing the PDA data to think that we should all be given more work to do, but its a far more complicated situation than that. There needs to be changes in how things are done, because it benefits nobody the way things are heading and just results in lack of motivation for us as well as stress and despondency when we’re accused of being lazy or that we should be doing more!

But i suppose ultimately the easiest way for the top dogs to push things is to just try and continuously squeeze more and more out of us.

Sorry for this rambled answer, just letting my thoughts flow!

[ssdd]

I think some people have forgot that Simon actually did go out on a round and talk to people on the shop floor:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=95524&p=931222&hili ... ry#p931222

[ssdd]

You know, as well as the phone lines he said, "You can always ring me". Anyone got his number?

[worktotime]

Anyone else finding Simon Thompson coming across as rather creepy?

I was quite impressed with him when he was on that hour long thing with the CWU.

But i know what you mean, theres something of the smiling assassin about him in these videos.

The best thing he could do is spend a full week on 5 different deliveries and experience the job. Not saying it would make a huge difference but at least then he will have an idea of what we do week in week out.

mjd24, as an outsider I have to say I couldnt agree more and I find it hard to believe that as very senior manager that he does not appearto understand the value of walking the talk and getting onto the shop floor. If you look at the BBC and CH4 programmes like undercover boss and back to the shop floor, the value that can be gained by doing this type of activity is difficult to qauntify, and to get the same sorts of info, youd have to pay consultants tens of thousands of pounds. Im my previous life I've certainly had more respect for managers that are prepared to roll up their sleeves and muck in, and are genuinely keen to find out what the grass roots issue are, in some industry sectors this is a more common practice than it appears to be in RM.

Just out of interest and playing devils advocate here mjd24, would you be willing to allow him to accompany you for a day on your walk so he can see the issues first hand. Be good if he could dress down and look like a regular postie too, as you might get lucky and find an irate customer to give him some constructive feedback. I'm far from an expert by any means, however from what I have seen and read, senior management tours of the shopfloor and frontline are one of the best known cures for "Ivory Tower Syndrome"!

i would love to take him round with me on my delivery , he would get a shock .

[Aquarius]

I think some people have forgot that Simon actually did go out on a round and talk to people on the shop floor:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=95524&p=931222&hili ... ry#p931222

Yep standard new boss tactics - come across as caring and sharing - do the 'meet and greet' the workforce PR - make sure plenty of pictures are taken - say all the right things - then bugger off to his nice expensive office and keep that share price as high as he can.

When the next one come in - rinse and repeat etc etc etc

[rubberbond]

Where is this video from?

A planet many, many light years away from reality.

A galaxy, far, far away

Even Captain James T Kirk never visited this strange and illogical place.

[PostmanBitesDog]

Where is this video from?

A planet many, many light years away from reality.

A galaxy, far, far away

Even Captain James T Kirk never visited this strange and illogical place.

kirk-mccoy.gif

[the dragon]

We are starting our structural revision a week on Monday and the moral in our office is on the floor!! We are struggling every single day to clear the office and very often don't. The new duties are NOT achievable but absolutely no one listens to us, RM and CWU. I've asked, time and time again, why we can't simply do a table top revision.We have suggested plans which will make a similar office saving, without the need to change every single duty in the office but, sadly especially the CWU, don't want to know and are pushing through with the structural revision. If staff start working to their times and do the job properly ( as many said they will do) the office will fail every single day. Is this the scenario which will please our customers and, ultimately, our shareholders. I'm so frustrated and pissed off with both RM and CWU

[Chelseablue]

Same in our office my friend , anyone else?

[ssdd]

No, we're fine...

[PostmanBitesDog]

We're fine, too. Our office is a well-oiled machine.